Expert: Meeting of Zelensky and Pat. Bartholomew is a wish of State Dept
Vladimir Zelensky. Photos from open sources
The subject of Ukrainian Tomos was dealt with by the State Commissioner for Religious Affairs at the US Department of State, Samuel Brownback, recalled Ukrainian political analyst Konstantin Bondarenko in his commentary to Strana.ua on the planned meeting of Vladimir Zelensky with Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul.
“In general, a trip to Turkey is unlikely to be productive, and a meeting with Bartholomew once again proves that this is no more than a ritual visit,” the expert noted. “The second point – since a shady undertaking with the Tomos was planned in Washington (it was carried out by the State Commissioner for Religious Affairs at the State Department Mr. Brownback), respectively, Ukraine, remaining under the new president in the US ‘stream channel’, continues the same policy line. This is most likely also the desire of the State Department for the president of Ukraine to demonstrate that he will continue the course of the previous president.”
Nevertheless, the political expert believes that no one will carry out such an escalation in church policy as Poroshenko did, since “Zelensky is far from church-related issues”.
As reported by the UOJ, on August 7-8, 2019, President Vladimir Zelensky will be on an official visit in Turkey where he will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.
Recall, in the opinion of political expert Alexei Yakubin, people from Zelensky’s circle is trying to involve him in the church theme, and at the upcoming meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, they will try to “probe” him for his readiness to continue the church policy of Petro Poroshenko.
Read also
DESS: The number of communities joining OCU in 2024 is half of last year’s
Over a year, 232 communities of the UOC changed their jurisdiction.
Scale of internal damage to UOC cathedral in Zaporizhzhia shown online
The video allows viewers to assess the damage endured by the main Orthodox church of the UOC in Zaporizhzhia.
Ex-MP UOC protodeacon Novinsky declared suspicion of high treason
The former MP is accused of "ensuring that a significant part of Ukrainian society, who are believers of the UOC, remain under the direct influence of the leader of the ROC".
St Andrew’s icon survives under the rubble of UOC cathedral in Zaporizhzhia
The icon was painted by nuns of the St Nicholas Monastery in Patras (Greece) and consecrated on the relics of St Andrew the Apostle.
RF missile strike destroys St Andrew's Cathedral of UOC in Zaporizhzhia
The fragments damaged the roof of the building, dome, ceilings, cut windows and disfigured classrooms.
Media shows conditions in which persecuted communities of Volyn have to pray
After their churches were seized, UOC faithful are compelled to pray in poorly equipped facilities.